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His second birthday party was Mickey Mouse theme. And since Bruin has watched more Mickey Mouse Clubhouse than any other show, it seemed fitting for him to be holding Mickey in his 2 year portraits:). He loves "Miggeeeeee!"

I took these pictures of Bruin (and some with he and Daisy) about a week before his 2nd birthday. He has actually gotten surprisingly good at sitting for a few seconds and saying cheese with the promise of a lollipop afterwards.

Below: He has figured out that he has gotten a drum set. The poppy flew out of his mouth a moment later when he squealed with delight. HE WAS SO HAPPY!! We decided to leave the other presents for later because we wanted him to take the time to enjoy the drum set. We opened the remaining presents on his actual birthday. So many people have told me that I am so brave to allow a drum set into my house...lol, I want to say a few things to that point. One: These are not as loud as a real drum and they are super cheap. They might last a few months at best...lol so I won't have to listen to it all that long. Two: They don't play them all the time and most of the time I am just so happy when my kids leave me alone for three seconds so I can tolerate the noise for a little bit here and there. Three: I am brave...and a little crazy so you are accurate. lol

Bruin is the sweetest cuddle bug. I am thankful for a baby that is so affectionate. It's not all the time and it really is only on his terms but, it's THE BEST. He loves to lay his head on my shoulder at least a hundred times a day. He gives lots of hugs and kisses. He loves to sit right next to me on the couch or in my bed and he likes to lean on my arm. I would definitely say that one of Bruin's love languages is affection.

His vocabulary is growing daily but, he is definitely taking his time with talking and even comprehension which of course can be very frustrating because he is always frustrated and I can't communicate with him...sigh. Here are some of the words that I do hear him say frequently: Mum, Day Day (Daisy), no, star, uh huh, candee, migee (Mickey), noz (nose), ug (hug), heah (head), duck, bungee (bunkee), popeee, car, tuck (truck), show, light, chair, eye, tee (teeth), brush, dink (drink), chee (cheese), hiiii, byyyy, doggie, kiiy (kitty), bug, shew (shoes), hai (hair), hewp (help).

PS the irony of this cake is that by Bruin's birthday both my husband and I were eating gluten free so neither of us could eat any. I had already ordered and paid for it before hand so there was no point in cancelling it. Daisy doesn't like cupcakes so she didn't want one...soooo...we had 24 cupcakes just for Bruin and he ate half of one...talk about a waste. But, a very cute waste!

Bruin wears size 2T or 24 months in just about everything but, 2T is still on the bigger side for him. He wears a size 6.5 shoe but, I have been getting him 7 lately. Size 5 diapers.

Bruin is a very picky eater. I can tell that his sensory issues effect his ability to tolerate textures and really hinder his adventurous spirit when it comes to food.

He has been enjoying a bowl of cereal with a tiny bit of milk for breakfast the past couple of weeks. His favorite thing to eat on planet earth is applesauce squeezers. He absolutely must start each morning with one and he probably inhales about 3 a day. He likes cheese sticks and sandwich slices. He likes, bread, plain pancakes, hashbrowns, mac n' cheese and most all pasta, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit (grapes, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, mandarin oranges, pears, peaches, bananas, basically he loves all fruit). He likes a little bit of sushi (not nearly as much as Daisy), some pizza if he is in the mood, chicken pieces, Daddy's grilled meats, crackers and anything sweet. Bruin is definitely my sweet tooth kiddo. He is obsessed with cake! It is his favorite treat to eat but, he is happy with anything sweet. He mostly drinks very diluted apple juice. He doesn't like to drink he milk in the morning anymore for some reason and he refuses water most of the time unless it is in sister's school water bottle.

He loves watching various shows on my cell phone off and on when I let him. He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse but, he also loves the youtube kids ap. He will usually watch shows about cars, trucks or sing along songs. He also loves Goldie and Bear and Little Einsteins. I also have a few Wiggles DVD's in my van and he enjoys watching those as well.

Bruin loves shoes and he quickly learned how to get his own shoes and ask us to put them on him ("shoe, shoe!" whenever he wants to go anywhere.

He loves taking his nap everyday. Bruin is the type of kid who pretty much lets you know that he wants to go to sleep. He often grabs his blanket and puts his own pacifier in his mouth. He will put his blanket on my shoulder and ask me to pick him up. Then he lays his head on my shoulder and points to his room. It cracks me up and melts me all at once. Daisy has never once in her life ever wanted to go to bed so to have a kiddo who is the exact opposite is a crack up. When I lay him on his pillow pal he has his eyes closed almost instantly. He is never wild and amped up at nap time. He is ready for it. :) He doesn't nap long unfortunately. Daisy used to take a three hour nap ever day for nearly 3 years. Yes, I was spoiled. Bruin is more of an hour to hour and a half napper. On the other hand he likes to go to bed at 7 sharp! And he sleeps solid most every night until 6:30 AM. And if you are wondering I have attempted to adjust his bedtime in hopes that he might sleep just a hair later in the morning but, it makes no difference. Early rising is in his blood. Sigh. I am very thankful that he is a great sleep overall. No complaints here.

Bruin loves when I pull up a couple of chairs to the kitchen sink. He climbs up and plays with the dishes, water and soap. He could probably play there for an hour each time if I let him but, I usually have to stand next to him because the chair gets super wet and slippery and he falls a lot. But, he loves it so we try to do this activity once every few days.

He loves to help us cook or bake! I don't love doing this with him yet but, I try to find things for him to do when I can. He is great at helping me load the washer or dryer or empty the dishwasher. He is at that helping stage. He wants to help with everything which makes everything that much more difficult. LOL. It is also SUPER cute too.

He loves to throw things both when he is being silly and when he is angry. I've been hit in the face once or twice by a very big toy and it was not fun lemme tell yah. But, I am hoping we can channel that energy into a fast ball pitch here pretty soon.

Bruin loves being outside, going on walks, exploring, driving Daisy's jeep, or riding her scooter (I push him around). He loves going to new places and seeing new things.

He seems the most unhappy and bored when we are home all day...which is a bummer because that used to be my favorite thing before he was born. LOL. Now, I try to get out once a day to burn some of Bruin's energy and to help me stay sane. Otherwise, he cries 100X more if we stay home all day. I'm not gonna lie....he is a tough cookie most days. But, I love em to pieces.

Bruin loves animals and he knows must about every farm animal and the sound that they make. I need to record his sounds on a video very soon! Daisy was always scared of dogs as a toddler and even now but, Bruin loves dogs and cats. Bruin and his Daddy are twins when it comes to their passion and their love for animals. lol

He loves to wake up in the morning and come in to my bed and watch shows for around 30 minutes. I am so thankful for this down time before starting the day. At night Bruin likes us to read him two books and then he knows it's time to turn off the like, get rocked and we sing a song to him and then he is ready for bed. He likes his routines and seems to feel secure in them.

I love this little guy so much even if he does wear my brain ragged more often than not with all of his whining and crying. lol. If you have a whiney child, let's just say that I understand you a whole lot more now than I did with my first child. Peace and love! lol